Unmasked
by Yimjeric
Summary: With the mask on, he was Zero, the man of miracles. Without it, he was Kururugi Suzaku, a corpse of the past, knight of a fallen princess. Post-R2.


**Suzaku's POV**

I made sure that my attire was the same as that day; the same yellow T-shirt, the similar leather boots, the identical demi-blue coat that covered me from shoulder to ankle. I even infiltrated back into my old locker so that I could wear back my sunglasses. Nobody had recognized the late Kururugi Suzaku as I walked the streets in broad day light. I had been hiding inside the Zero mask for so look that I had almost forgotten how the sun looked like. Even with the sunglasses on, I had to adjust my eyes once more to get used to the glare. I had not meant to be out in the open but I was rarely given a holiday after becoming Zero. For so long I had wished to visit them but yet could not leave behind the burden that was given to me. I walked pass the detention centre once more, hoping that a pink-haired princess would fall from the sky and catch her in my arms. But that was only my own wishful thinking.

It was hard to find any shop selling chrysanthemums in Britannia, let alone white chrysanthemums. Nonetheless, there was a flower shop who specifically sold imported flowers from the east and soon I held two bouquets of white chrysanthemums in between my arms. The florist who had sold me the flowers was obviously Britannian, trying to make end means by starting the business. She was however kind and offered to send the flowers for me but I declined. These flowers, I had told her needed to be given personally by myself. The florist posed a last question to me before she handed over the bouquets; who I was giving them too. I had after all given such a difficult request for only white chrysanthemums instead of the more common yellow, so I replied that it was for visiting friends that I had never met for a very long time.

* * *

I placed one bouquet on the tombstone and sat beside it. The tombstone read:

'_**Here lays the greatest tyrant and sinner that walked the earth,**_

_**And the best brother and friend anybody could have.'**_

Lelouch has once again lied, as he always had. The 'live on' command that he gave me had started fading upon his death, as did Schneizel command to obey Zero and others. For all the lies that Lelouch had said, however, all the atrocity that he did changed the world into a better place and had created a better tomorrow for all of us. Regardless, I am thankful for everything that Lelouch has done. Above all, she would have wanted this... I did not stay for very long, cleaning his tombstone while telling Lelouch how Nunnally was doing with being Empress, the state of the world he had created, The Order of The black Knights and Kallen before departing with a good bye. I still had to visit someone else before the day was over.

* * *

As I approached her tombstone, I had so much to say in my mind however as soon as I reached the tombstone of Euphemia li Britannia I was unable to utter a word, speechless in front of the one person I had so wished to speak once again. As I placed the bouquet on the tombstone, cleaning the dust and fallen leaves surrounding it while contemplating on how to start a conversion, I noticed that the stone had its original words erased off. The scrapping on it had been neatly done, most definitely not some slipshod work done by a novice. It now read:

'_**The irreplaceable woman. Posthumous named as the gentle princess.'**_

I held the pin that she gave me when I became her knight in my right hand and in a force of habit, waited as I had always done by her side until she gave an order. Silently, I would watch her sort out the work she was given as Sub-Viceroy, remaining unmoved until she calls me to either hear my views on the issue that she was working on, instructing me to carry out an order or just have a casual chat with her. I had always been better at receiving and carrying out orders rather than having a conversion with her. I had tried to answer the many questions she had posed to me about how Japan was like before the invasion as well as our rich culture.

"Euphemia-sama," I begun, finally summing up the courage to speak before I realized my mistake and immediately fell silent once more. I could have already picture her pouting and ignoring me for calling her with such formalities. "Euphie," I begun once more…

"I'm sorry Euphie," my feet gave way and I kneeled in front of her. "As your knight, I was unable to protect you, to save you as I promised. I had wished that we might have more time together, I still had so much to tell you." Tears started to form and slid down from my eyes as I approached her. "I miss the warm that you radiate, those reassuring words and gestures that you gave me. I miss you Euphie! I really do. I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" I grasped the pin she gave me even tighter as more tears came out, my eyes staring at the granite, unable to face her. So caught up in grieving, I had failed to notice that without the aid of antidepressants or sleeping pills, that I had fallen unconscious, embracing Euphemia's tombstone.

* * *

Everything was in a blur when I came to, I vaguely remember visiting someone but I was now obviously somewhere else entirely. While trying to make sense of what was going on an angelic voice asked "What do you mean?" that broke me out of my trance. Realization struck me; I had returned, back to the day the Special Administrative Zone was established, when the Black Rebellion took place, when Euphie was dying. I was no longer Zero, the man of miracles, the saviour of the world. Instead I was back to being Kururugi Suzaku, Honorary Britannian, Knight to Euphemia li Britannia.

"Euphie," knowing that there was little time left; I grasp her hands and held them on my own.

"Say, Suzaku, you're Japanese, aren't you…" her voice waning as she struggles to stay awake.

I gripped her hands tighter, unable to see her leave me again, all alone in this world, without her. "Take me with you, Euphie." I impulsively placed her hands at my neck, "I'll willingly go where every you go! So please…" Finally, I thought, I could reunite with Euphie; hear her soft laughs, see her sweet smiles, having her company…

"No! No!" the lines on the electrocardiography fluctuated. "I can't! I can't think that way!" she withdrawn her hands from my neck and shut her eyes. As I did not understand initially due to the lack of knowledge about geass, I realize that Euphie had managed to overcome the command that Lelouch had given to her. "Suzaku…"

"Euphie…" Her hands were getting colder and colder. I locked our hands together once more, trying to provide some warm in a hopeless attempt to save her.

"The ceremony… What happen to Japan? Were the Japanese people happy? Did I… Do well?"

Japan had prospered under the United Federation of Nations as it held the world's largest source of Sakuradite, making it a hub for research and advancement in technology. Ghettos went under heavy construction by order of Prime Minister Ohgi and the living standard of Japan as a whole drastically improved.

"It was a huge success. They were all so happy with the new Japan." I forced a genuine smile for her, unlike the previous when I had to lie, the Japanese were indeed happy with the new Japan.

"I'm so glad…" she sigh in relieve. "That's strange…" her eyes wandered aimlessly. "I can't see your face." I got closer, taking her trembling hands and guided them to my face, making sure she could feel my features. "Live… on…" I was unable to control my tears any longer. "Do it… for the both of us…" the life in her was slipping.

"No! Euphie! No!" there was still so many things that I wanted to say, so many things that I had not originally said. "I love you, Euphie! Please! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" tears continue to roll off my cheeks, mixing with the blood on the uniform I was wearing.

"Suzaku, I love you too…" and my life died again once more before blacking out from crying my heart out.

* * *

The sky had turned crimson red by the time I had reawaken and readjusted back to reality. I propped my elbows to get up and realized that I was still at Euphemia tombstone. Before leaving, giving a wide grin on my face, I bowed down to her one last time.

"Thank you your highness, for everything that you have given me. Sorry for all the trouble that I had given you and fare well."

With that, I leave her, donning the mask of Zero once more. Zero was still needed and had a purpose to fulfil.

**Author's note:**

I don't own Code Geass or any of its characters. Sorry for the long wait; I had writer's block and I wanted to make sure that I managed to convey Suzaku's thoughts. Thank you for reading. Leave a review if you please.


End file.
